Betting Spy: Cheats do prosper in football

Grant Prior 9 years ago
Share

Wayne Rooney’s dive in the FA Cup this week re-ignited the perennial debate about cheating in football.

So why don’t we stop talking about it and actually do something about it?

Gamesmanship has now replaced sportsmanship in football. And it will eventually kill the game if left unchecked.

Rugby and cricket players don’t often cheat because they know the crowd won’t stand for it.

The whole ground boos if a cricketer tries to pretend a grounded catch didn’t hit the floor.

While a rugby player feigning injury soon becomes an object of ridicule.

But in the world of football it’s routine to roll around in mock agony at the slightest contact and dive for the floor in a bid to con a penalty.

That’s then followed by the sad spectacle of former players and managers making excuses for all this.

The solution surely lies in instant video replays in the grounds.

Showing players cheating on the big screens will ensure crowds won’t stand for it and referees aren’t conned by it.

While the big striker is rolling around on the floor after being brushed by an arm – flash the footage up and let the supporters voice their opinion.

The ridicule of thousands of people can get a player to his feet quicker than any magic sponge.

And instant replays can rid mistakes from the game.

The ref has plenty of time to check a goal was onside while the “scorer” is whipping his top off/dancing/hugging the manager.

Same with penalties – it takes seconds to check if the original decision was right.

And any big decision causes delays anyway while players surround the ref.

Watching Wayne Rooney at Upton Park the other week was an eye-opener – he spent more time whingeing at the ref than on the ball.

The behaviour of some players is making the game look ridiculous.

So let’s turn the tables and make them look ridiculous if they try and con their way to victory.

Back to the betting – and I’m going to make it nice and simple this week.

West Brom have enjoyed a resurgence since Tony Pulis took over culminating in a 4-0 battering of a woeful West Ham last week.

The Baggies are away at a Sunderland side who crashed out of the cup at Bradford last week and were stunned by a rare QPR away victory before that.

Pulis will let his team sit back while the home crowd gets edgy before hitting Sunderland on the break to score an away win which pays a decent looking 2/1.

Betting Spy has joined forces with Paddy Power to offer all readers a free bet when they open an account. Just click on the link below to visit construction’s favourite bookmaker to find out all the latest prices and follow the easy steps to setting-up an online, telephone or mobile account

Running Total for all bets this year to a £10 stake: £-60.00

Latest news

Police ban mobile cranes from roads over Easter

Plant hire bosses livid as forces across the country extend abnormal load embargoes
22 hours ago

Director jailed for exposing workers to asbestos

Ten tonnes of asbestos insulating board stripped out by unqualified workers
1 day ago

Site labour rates start rising again

Industry's biggest payroll firm says "it feels like things could be turning round"
1 day ago

Council finds extra £33m for Buckinghamshire link road

South East Aylesbury Link Road costs soar by nearly 30% to £147m
1 day ago

Quartet win £490m North West & Central railway works deal

Skanska, Kier, Octavius Infrastructure and Story Contracting bag major projects deal
1 day ago

Unite Students plans first major mixed-use scheme

Developer's first mixed BTR and PBSA project to be built in Edinburgh
2 days ago

Galliford Try names new finance director

Rentokil's Kris Hampson joins contractor to replace Andrew Duxbury
1 day ago

Council boss hits out at bat threat to £274m road job

Natural England could scupper scheme due to be built by Ferrovial
1 day ago

Hydrogen-fuelled diggers to be allowed onto highways

Government to raise barrier to widespread use of hydrogen fuelled plant in construction
2 days ago

Plans in for £118m Government hub in Darlington

Work pencilled to start later this year on new home for 1,450 civil servants
2 days ago

New contractor highlights Henry Construction jobs on website

New firm lists jobs by failed contractor to show its experience
2 days ago

Contractors line up for £2.6bn Anglian Water AMP8 deal

Eight big names land places on pioneering @one Alliance
3 days ago

McAleer & Rushe bags first major later living project

Work to start this month on 167-flat Royal Tunbridge Wells project
2 days ago

Kier starts first all-electric prison houseblock job in Kent

Next-generation fully electric T60 prison houseblock to be built at HMP Elmley
2 days ago

Keepmoat sees better times ahead in housing market

Profits dip in 2023 despite construction of record number of new homes
2 days ago

Vistry signs partnership deals for 1,900 mixed tenure homes

West Sussex former airfield and Newmarket sites to break ground
3 days ago

Turnover at Wates tops £2bn for first time

Construction division exceeds £1bn turnover as average contract value hits record high of £48.3m
3 days ago

L&G looks to sell Cala Homes in exit from house building

Insurance giant reported to be preparing to offload 3,000 homes-a-year developer
4 days ago

Multiplex profit almost trebles as margin hits 5.5%

Revenue jumps 20% to £675m as big London scheme complete
3 days ago

TopHat puts plans to open huge Corby factory on hold

Advanced manufacturing facility was due to employ 1,000 people
3 days ago

Laing O’Rourke lands Calderdale hospital job

Enabling works to start by the end of this year at West Yorkshire site
3 days ago

Go-ahead for £475m Sunderland film and TV studios

Work to start this year on first phase Corwn Work studios
3 days ago

Willmott Dixon set for £20m Stockport Community Hub

Planning decision expected in June on Marple leisure and health clinic project
3 days ago

Police hunt for blundering dumper truck thief

Raider drove into a fence before getting stuck on a bank
3 days ago

Beattie Passive files administration notice

Passivhaus pioneer has been in business for more than ten years
4 days ago

McAlpine set for £50m space and tech centre

Northumbria Uni sign pre-con deal for new satellite research hub
4 days ago

VolkerFitzpatrick seals £34m Kent road viaduct

Work to start next year on Sturry Link Road near Canterbury
4 days ago

Eight win £600m Scottish civil engineering framework

Balfour, Farrans, Graham and Morgan Sindall win major works lot
4 days ago

Site engineer crushed to death by excavator

22-year-old victim died just months after graduating from university
6 days ago

NG Bailey fined £135,000 after hospital site death

Worker died after striking overhead beam while navigating a mobile elevating work platform
7 days ago

Contractor services